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Bill Shapiro

@billshapiro

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Former Editor-in-Chief of LIFE magazine; Co-Founder, BluePhoto Collective; I help photographers get their books published.
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My first book — “Other People’s Love Letters: 150 Letters You Were Never Meant to See” — came out 20 years ago this week. The idea for the book hit me (hard) when I read a letter that I shouldn’t have (it was a love letter written to my wife when we were separated). So I started asking people if I could see their old love letters, the ones they kept under their bed or stuffed into shoe boxes in the back of their closet. People had held on to these for years and years, and most were happy to share. The letters themselves weren’t all gushy; some were super harsh. Because, you know, love has thorns. Thanks to my editor @doriscoops, @angelinladams, and @laurapalesedesign, and to @clarksonpotter publishers, as well as to the reporters — Betsy, Daniel, and the rest — who helped me track down so many unexpected and passionate and creative letters, notes, emails, texts, scribblings, and other expressions of raw love. by @billshapiro
74
3 days ago
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It’s Friday so let’s Meet This Photographer: Back in high school, I kinda sorta knew @christyschnabel — she was a couple years younger than I was, and a lot cooler. I hadn’t thought about her for, like, decades until I somehow came upon her mesmerizing “On the Path” series that turns passersby at a Santa Monica bike path into a beachy meditation on, I don’t know, maybe humanity. Christy has an artist’s heart. Before she reached for a camera, she was in a band called Ugly Beauty that was signed by Atlantic. She grew up not far from the bike path and recently told me that she spent much of her youth “wandering up and down the beach…passing through entire worlds and communities,” and that she “always had a cinematic impression of the place.” That shows. Her series strikes me as street photography in a way, except that instead of aggressively stalking images, she stays in one place. And she waits. “I feel like we assume going someplace else—going somewhere other than where we are—will bring us closer to more exciting things or more interesting people,” she told me. “I was making the point to myself that that is not true, that there’s more than enough to see and examine right in front of us every day.” To me, the series feels like meditation. Thoughts come, thoughts go, people come, people go, the only steady state is, you know, impermanence. I love how the images have balance and formality and the same visual voice—the sky is a little blown out, the people feel a little hyper-real, a little elevated—and yet every frame is a surprise. “I saw the path as a stage across which an endless stream of characters would pass,” she said. “While I’m isolating individuals and celebrating them in their specific glory, I’m also capturing them as part of a whole, and part of a flow. There’s the everyday ordinariness of the scene, but also the magnificence of what passes right in front of us.” The people on the bike path? They’re alone, and, also, alone together. Just like all of us. @christyschnabel #meetthisphotographer #santamonica @bluephoto.co @womenstreetphotographers by @billshapiro
69
10 days ago
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New Terrapin Crossroads podcast alert! Listen to former Life Magazine Editor-in-Chief, photo book editor, photographer, and lifelong Deadhead @billshapiro discuss his favorite Dead moments, what makes a photograph fine art, collaborating posthumously with legendary @jimmarshallphoto, mining the legendary Life Magazine archives, and how a cold call resulted in co-writing a children’s book with @officialkeef. Available now wherever you get your podcasts! taken in Terrapin Crossroads by @billshapiro
5
11 days ago
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I’ve now had a good, long look at Walker Evans’ “Now and Then,” a sweeping new book that goes wide and deep on his work and begins with a quote, from Evans, that I love: “Stare. It is the way to educate your eye, and more. Stare, pry, listen, eavesdrop. Die knowing something. You are not here long.” Paging through “Now and Then,” it becomes incredibly clear that the ghost of Walker Evans is everywhere and has been for a long time. In fact, many of the pictures in this book look quite familiar — and I’m not talking about the ones we’ve all seen before. Why is that? Because the number of photographers Evans has influenced and continues to influence — whether they know it or not — is absolutely staggering. The evidence is right here: as clear in his subway pictures as it is in his vernacular signage. The book is edited by @davidcampany, the creative director at the International Center of Photography (@icp), which has bloomed bright once again under his curatorial guidance; Campany has previously written about Evans in at least two books that I know of, so, like, the man knows of what he speaks. A self-described “reassessment,” the book spans Evans’ career including his surprising color Polaroids from the ‘70s (which I’d never seen…or heard of) to his early work from the ‘20s, from Fortune magazine stories (including a quirky take on shop sidewalk displays, a gleaming look at common tools, and color pictures of railroad insignias) to African sculpture (a commission from MoMA) to portraits to architecture to his well-known vernacular signs to what we now casually call “street photography.” His curiosity was relentless, his reach immense. The 320-page book is published by @thamesandhudsonusa and if you like to stare, well, then this book is for you. I’ll put a link in my Story. #walkerevans #davidcampany @icp #photobook @bluephoto.co by @billshapiro
54
17 days ago
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It’s Friday and here’s a look at 13 pictures that tickled my eye this week. Some of these photographers I’ve been following for years, some I’ve written about in this space, some I stumbled upon in the last few days and know absolutely nothing about them except, like, “Damn! Good picture!” Everyone here? Worth a follow. 1. Frank Fournier…. Born in France, lives in NYC, shoots absolutely everywhere. (#frankfournier) 2. @Barima_on … Barima Owusu-Nyantekyi is a fine art photographer in Ghana. Don’t know anything about him (yet!) but I love what he’s doing. 3. Declan Haun…A cool exhibit of Huan’s work is on at the @josephbellowsgallery 4. @Amandafordycephoto … Recently came upon Amanda’s work, stopped in my tracks, then scrolled, scrolled, scrolled. For me, her pictures capture the fleeting tenderness of life itself. 5. Ramon Masats…I’ve written (more than once) on this feed about @archivo_Ramonmasats, the Spanish photographer with the impeccable sense of both timing and geometry. To celebrate its 5th anniversary, @galeriaalta is staging a special show of his work. Check it out. Seriously. 6. @billydeee … Billy Dinh? You’re already following him, right? The guy never stops finding magic. 7. @Winograndfilm…Yes, Garry Winogrand. 8. @ianberrymagnum …. Ian Berry, the great British photojournalist, died on September 13. If you don’t know his work, take a peek. 9. @pieterhenket …. Pieter, whose beautiful new book is called “Birds of Mexico City,” always finds that perfect, glowing place between script and spontaneity. 10. @Amandafordycephoto … yep, one more from Amanda. 11.Peterturnley …. Everyone knows Peter’s work. 12. @jimmarshallphoto … The great John Coltrane would have turned 100 this week. And the great Jim Marshall made my favorite picture of him. 13. @wayne.dunkley … Wayne, and his stunning, slightly surreal skyscapes, are a recent-ish addition to @bluephoto.co, my mission-driven side project that’s aiming to provide a curated selection incredible images for your walls while also helping photographers stay afloat in tricky times. @meet.this.photographer @bluephoto.co by @billshapiro
71
23 days ago
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It’s Friday so let’s take a look at one beautiful new photo book: “Haunted Eye” by Steve McCurry (@stevemccurryofficial ). But before we get to the book itself, it is positively head-spinning to imagine everything Steve has seen over the course of his career. Now 76, McCurry made his name in his 20s when he embedded with the Mujahideen in Afghanistan; with his film sewn into his clothes, he snuck out of the country and delivered the first images of the Soviet invasion to the world. Since then, he’s won truckloads of awards for his documentary pictures that double as fine art, and made what is widely considered one of the most recognizable portraits to grace a magazine cover: In 1984, he photographed Sharbat Gula, a girl with unforgettable eyes, living in a refugee camp. The picture, often referred to as “Afghan girl,” ran on the cover of National Geographic in 1985. Steve, a man who covered the brutal impact of war upon the innocents in conflict zones all over the world, joined Magnum the following year. McCurry’s new book dazzles. In 188 pages, it covers 40-plus years of pictures, many not previously published. And the colors — Sweet Lord, the colors! But this book also provides color in another way: In tightly written, evocative, short passages, Steve summons the precise moments when various photographs were made. Like this: “I remember the air inside that car feeling incredibly heavy, as if the space itself were shrinking around us. We were in Thai Nguyen Province, Viêt Nam, in 2007. I was there with Luong Van Tuyen in the moment her world fractured—the exact moment she was told she was HIV-positive. I watched through my lens as a single tear tracked down her cheek, a small, shimmering line of absolute shock.” “Haunted Eye” is published by @atelier_exb; I’ll put a link in my Story. You can find Steve’s work at @thehulettcollection & also on @bluephoto.co #stevemccurry @meet.this.photographer @bluephoto.co by @billshapiro
46
a month ago
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Recently, I wrote a story for New Mexico Magazine about six NM photographers to know about. Here they are; see the new issue for the story. 1. @craig.varjabedian.photo 2. Toba Pato Tucker 3. @gabriela.e.campos 4. @kaynephoto 5. @nathanielpaolinelli 6. @cararomerophotography @newmexicomag @newmexicotrue @newmexico by @billshapiro
38
a month ago
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Let‘s talk about photo auctions: In the past, I’ve written about how much I love photo auctions, not only for the chance to pick up a steal (a “stolen” William Klein hangs on my wall), but just to open my eyes to pictures I’ve never seen before. One of my favorite auctions is coming up—the Leitz Photographica Auction—on October 9, and I figured it’d be a good excuse to interview Caroline Guschelbauer, who oversees it. So here she is: 1. From a bidder’s perspective, better to be the first to bid or to jump in at the last minute? That’s a difficult question! Seeing that there‘s already a bid on a photo can discourage others, so bidding first can be a good strategy. But in the end, it often comes down to the final moment and being ready to react if someone else places competing bid. 2. How do I know if I’m getting a good deal? Auction houses offer estimates that reflect the current market. If you manage to acquire a photo around the lower estimate, I’d generally consider that a good deal. Of course, a “good deal“ is also about finding a photo you want to live with! 3. How do you select which photos go into an auction? It has to be compelling in some way—perhaps because of its historical or technical significance, its aesthetics, or simply because it moves you. The print‘s condition is also important. 4. What’s a common bidding mistake? Trying to register at the last minute. If something doesn’t work or you have questions, it‘s better to sort it out without feeling rushed. [Ed note: I’ve made this mistake!] 5. Ever fall in love with a picture and want to bid on it yourself? Always! In next month’s auction, there’s a photo by Robert Frank [#3 above] showing his wife, with their daughter in the background. The composition is extraordinary, but I also find it incredibly touching. It‘s going to be hard to say goodbye to that one. All photos above included in the next Leitz Auction. See my Story for link to register. 1. Alberto Durazzi 2. Shiela Rock 3. Robert Frank 4. Ernst Haas 5. Lillian Bassman 6. John Bulmer 7. Max Yavno 8. Joel Meyerowitz 9. Nan Goldin @Leitz_photographica_auction @leica_camera #photoauction @meet.this.photographer by @billshapiro
32
a month ago
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Ansel Adams, one of the founding fathers of photography, made many of his most iconic, most moving pictures in California’s Yosemite Valley. Here are just a few. And now Donald Fucking Trump, a man who has never been more than a mile from a McDonald’s in his life, wants to sell off a piece of it — a piece of our national parks! — to a Las Vegas developer. This land? This land is your land. This land is my land. Say no to this and say it loudly. Photos by @anseladams #yosemite @anseladamsgallery @thehulettcollection @bluephoto.co by @billshapiro
53
2 months ago
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It’s Friday and the situation in Cuba remains disastrous and desperate. President Trump’s power play has resulted in long blackouts sometimes stretching for 30 hours or more. Of course, with no electricity, there’s no way to keep food from spoiling. Medicine is in short supply. Tourism, an economic engine, has dried up and with it, tens of thousands of jobs. So today, in the smallest possible show of solidarity, I’d like to showcase the work of one of my favorite Cuban photographers, the great Raul Canibano (@raul_canibanofoto). A couple of years back, I curated a show in which I was able to feature a handful of his pictures; seeing them in person as opposed to on a small screen? Damn. They’re incredible. I find Raul’s work wonderfully complicated, endlessly fascinating. He always manages to locate a subtly surrealistic moment in every scene. Raul once told me how he goes about making his photos. He starts by looking for emotion, but that he’s “always liked scenes with several levels. I look for a person,” he said, “and then look for how things relate to him, what is going on around him.” His frames are alive—every corner active, foreground, middle, and background, too—so his frames feel like a collection of small worlds colliding. That’s what I love about these pictures: Unexpected relationships, remarkable compositions, exquisite timing. When I spoke with Raul some years back, he told me this, which is even more relevant today: “I believe that to know other realities helps to focus us on improving the world we live in. And I am very appreciative of having the opportunity to be able to show part of the life of my country over my 30 years of photographic experience.” If ever you’ve considered buying a print from a Cuban photographer, well, now would be the time. They could certainly use your love and support. Finally, if you’re so inclined, please tag a Cuban photographer whose work you love in a comment below so that the rest of us can take a look. #raulcanibano #cubanphotographer @bluephoto.co #havana @meet.this.photographer #cuba by @billshapiro
497
2 months ago
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Bill Shapiro @billshapiro has been lucky and knows it. The archives he was allowed into, the photographers he got to meet, the history he lived alongside. What he takes from that is not gratitude but obligation, and a modest one: you do not have to do it every day, it does not have to be a grand gesture. If you have been lucky, help somebody else get lucky. Watch full interview on Youtube or listen to it on all major broadcasting platforms / link in bio by @billshapiro
64
2 months ago
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Late eighties, a commercial magazine, a photographer who shot everything on a fisheye. For two years it worked, because everyone recognised him by it. Then it stopped being a style and became a gimmick, and Bill Shapiro @billshapiro says you do not see his work anywhere today. The thing that made him recognisable is the thing that ended him. Watch full interview on Youtube or listen to it on all major broadcasting platforms / link in bio by @billshapiro
53
2 months ago
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